


Be Happy for Me

by phantasmagorighoul (ghoullly)



Category: Five Nights at Freddy's
Genre: Coming Out, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, I always make Michael cry I'm sorry, M/M, Neglect
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-28
Updated: 2019-06-28
Packaged: 2020-05-28 07:19:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19389217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghoullly/pseuds/phantasmagorighoul
Summary: When he's accidentally caught coming home late, Michael is forced to come out to his father.While he doesn't react the way Michael had expected him to, he still wishes for a different outcome.





	Be Happy for Me

**Author's Note:**

> i have lots of little one shot wips in progress so while they aren't long expect a handful of them soon over the next month or so!
> 
> i always make michael cry i'm so sorry;; i put him in a lot of stressful situations i need to write him into a happy situation
> 
> there's a wip i will probably post next of a similar thing but with henry instead!! that's a happy one and probably the foil to this fic in all honesty
> 
> enjoy xx

“Do you think it’s alright?” Peter whispered even though they were still in the car, pulling slowly into the gravel driveway. His boyfriend sat up tall in his seat and bent forward, peering outside of the windshield.

“It doesn’t look like any lights are on,” Michael observed, “I think we’re in the clear.”

“Okay, good,” The younger of the two sighed in relief, parking the car at the top. He felt Michael’s hand slide on top of his and squeeze, and Peter’s breath hitched. “I--I just worry...”

“I know. I worry too.” Michael leant over and kissed his boyfriend’s cheek, who immediately flushed hot and covered his face in his hands in flustered joy. 

“C-Call me if something ever happens, you know!” Peter insisted. “I’ll come right back a-and--and pick you up, I don’t care if he’s my boss, you come first--”

“--Hey, hey, Pete, it’s alright; I wouldn’t suck you into my family garbage anyway... I’ve got Henry to run to if I need to and he knows that.” Michael smiled reassuringly and Peter nodded, not seeming convinced, but he said nothing else. “You should probably get going; don’t you open tomorrow?”

“O-Oh... oh, yeah...” Peter murmured, rubbing his cheek. “You make me forget. When I’m with you I don’t think about much else.”

Michael’s cheeks burned with flattery, a genuine smile spreading across his face, thankful that he had grown to love the dorky manager his father had hired back when the restaurants first started. He hated that their dates had to be in secrets like this, but they were always some of his favorite nights. Maybe one day they wouldn’t have to hide, but it wasn’t going to be like that for a while. 

They both leant in over the center console and gave each other a short kiss, Michael unstrapping and securing his jacket across his shoulders, nudging the car door open. He looked back at his boyfriend and gave him a smile, watching as just that was able to make the tan-skinned man melt, a sheepish grin spreading across his face.

“I had fun tonight,” Michael said, and Peter rested his cheek against the wheel, his smile getting bigger. 

“So did I,” Peter added, running a hand through his messy black hair, “I’m so glad you, uh-- you, um...”

Michael snorted, beginning to get out of the car. “That I turned out to be gay?”

Peter turned bright red, and judging by the way he averted his gaze and fumbled for words, Michael took it as a yes. He laughed warmly.

“I’m, uh, glad I figured that out about myself too. You helped me a lot. Then again, I’m sure any guy questioning himself a little would figure it out really quick with someone like you walking around the workplace.”

He gave his boyfriend a playful wink and stifled a giggle when Peter buried his face in the wheel and groaned in infatuation.

“Mikey,” he said, voice muffled by the wheel.

Michael leaned back in a little, confused. 

“Come here.”

The elder of the two climbed back in just long enough for Peter to lift his head and connect their lips again, both men smiling into the kiss, eventually parting too quickly for their liking. Michael’s hand lingered on the back of Peter’s neck and Peter smiled at him tiredly.

“You should probably go inside now,” he suggested, “I don’t want your dad to wake up if he hears me out here.”

Michael’s smile fell but he knew he was right, and he reached for his boyfriend’s hand and squeezed. His hands were perfect, and Michael’s were, well, calloused and busted up. Then again, he supposed that was to be expected when he fixed up spring suits most days.

“I can’t wait until the day where we can be ourselves and not have to worry,” Michael nearly whispered. Peter squeezed his hand back.

“Me either.”

They both said their goodbyes (with one more kiss snuck in) and Michael finally got out, making his way to the front door with light feet. He dug his keys out of his pants pocket and pushed around the ring, searching for the right one. Peter slowly backed out of the driveway, cautious of how loud his tires were on the gravel, and Michael managed to find the key just as he was pulling away. Twisting the knob, the man let out a sigh as he stepped inside, shutting the door behind him.

When he turned around, he felt his blood turn to ice and his heart hit the floor as he realized that his dad was sitting on the couch, leg crossed over another and visibly tired from waiting all night. Michael opened his mouth to speak, but the words wouldn’t come out. William straightened his back, moving from where he had his cheek resting in his hand, and opted to cross his arms instead.

“You know, Michael, I thought the child I’d have to worry about sneaking out and snogging boys would be Elizabeth.”

Michael remained frozen, but on the inside, he felt a creeping thought that made his throat taste like bile:  _ That’s what we all thought. But she’s not here anymore, now is she? _

The younger’s jaw moved and he inhaled sharply. Still nothing. He backed against the door, hands splayed against the cold wood. William seemed unfazed, leaning back against the couch again, his arms still crossed and his eyes half-lidded in apathy.

“How long has this been going on, then?”

No matter how hard he tried, Michael physically could not find the words to say. He did, however, feel intense emotion, and it all ranged between terror and despair and  _ fury.  _ Pure, unadulterated  _ fury.  _ He found the strength to raise a finger and peel himself off of the door a bit, spitting every syllable with venom.

“You... You  _ better  _ not treat him differently because of this, or so help me  _ God--” _

_ “--Oh,  _ relax, Michael.” William rolled his eyes, a smug grin on his face. “You act like I’m some sort of monster.”

Michael furrowed his brow and looked at his father with angered confusion.

_ But you are. _

_ We  _ both  _ know that you are; don’t lie to me. _

“I could care less what you do in your free time, if I’m speaking honestly.” William stood up. “I can’t help but notice you didn’t answer my prior question. I’d like you to answer it.”

Michael turned his head a bit to peek out of the door’s window with the side of his vision. Peter was long gone, which was good, but if he tried to make a break for it there wasn’t much of a chance he could catch up with his car.

_ Did you mean what you said, Peter? _

Deciding it wasn’t worth the repercussions when his father would undeniably catch him, he swallowed hard, looking back to the man he was a mirror image of.

“About 4 years.”

William sounded genuinely surprised, but his face lacked change save for a raise of his eyebrows. “You kept this a secret for that long?”

Michael remained mute. His expression remained hard as he huffed heavily through his nose.

“I wonder what else you’ve kept from me.”

The father and son stood in silence, the former calm and collected while the latter had to restrain himself from screaming in rage or bursting into a fit of tears or possibly both. He never wanted his dad to know. He was never supposed to find out.

_ I wanted to ask him to run away with me before anybody found out. _

_ I don’t want my shitty familial curse to so much as lay a  _ finger  _ on him. _

_ I don’t want him to get to you. _

William walked over to the television, turning it off. The lack of the screen’s luminescence dimmed the room a bit, but Michael could still see piercingly blue eyes just like his own peering at him through the dark. They looked cold.

Michael held his breath, feeling his heart drop like it used to when he was younger and his father would look upon him that way. His hand slipped behind him to hold onto the doorknob.

“I don’t care if you’re in a relationship, Michael. Even if it’s with that annoying little Guerrero boy.”

Michael’s grip tightened on the doorknob; his knuckles were white. He bit his tongue and held his ground.

“But.”

William approached him calmly, Michael frozen in place. The elder Afton reached out and grabbed his boy’s chin gently yet firmly, tilting it up so he could look his son in the eyes. The younger felt his jawbone scream in pain. His legs trembled.

_ No matter how old I get, I always let you pick on me. _

_ Why do I let you do that? _

“If you knew better, you would ensure that he is  _ never  _ made aware of the things that happen behind closed doors.” William’s expression was entirely serious; Michael desperately wanted to look away from him but feared what would happen if he did. “If I catch wind that this man knows about remnant and the achievements you and I have made thus far, you’re not going to like what I’ll have to do. To  _ both  _ of you.”

He let Michael’s chin go; the younger rubbed the spot where he felt the indentations of his father’s calloused fingers left behind. He wondered if it would bruise.

“By being in a relationship with someone, you’re putting them in harm’s way, Michael.” William turned away, moving towards the hallway, leaving Michael by the door. “I would hate to have to take action to ensure our progress isn’t hindered in any way. But I know you understand this.”

William stops, glancing back at his son. “I hate when I have to play the bad guy, Michael. You know this. Be cautious, please.” With that, he went down the hallway to go to his bedroom for the night, adding, “Don’t come home so late next time.” before he shut his door.

Michael waited until he heard the echo of the lock click from down the hallway before he breathed again. His back hit the door and his hands moved up to his face; he felt his breath grow uneven.

“I’m gay, Father,” he breathed, voice barely there as tears quietly spilled down his cheeks, “I’m gay and am in love with a man and I’m happy. I want you to be happy for me, too.”

Michael slid his hands over his face as he felt himself begin to cry, breath hot against the palms of his hands as he tried to keep quiet. He sank against the door until he sat on the doormat.

“I’m gay,” he repeated, squeezing his eyes shut, “and I knew from the moment I kissed him that I wanted to marry him.”

Michael pulled his knees up to his chest, letting himself go as he sobbed into his hands, shaking with hysteria.

“I’m gay, and I’m your son, and all I wanted to hear you say was that you loved me,” he lifted his head a bit, peering down to the hallway, watching the light in his father’s room click off from underneath the door. Michael’s heart rested on the mat next to him; he felt empty and devoid of so many things at once that he ought to have been a shell of himself.

**“So why did you have to make this about you like you do everything else?”**


End file.
